Divorce – No Lawyers, No Fees
Divorce is often times the last option a couple may have when a marriage has fallen apart. The problem with taking this route is that getting a marriage dissolved is not the simplest of tasks usually. Child custody, assets, child support and alimony are all elements that must be legally dealt with and agreed upon first. This is why it is typically best to have a lawyer deal with all of these aspects of the proceedings.
When outside parties do need to become involved there are may different options that can be taken, most of which are very affordable. However, ideally the situation can be solved between the two parties involved without ever having to drag someone else into the matter.
These cases can sometimes drag on for extended periods of time and when a lawyer is involved this translates to lots of money being spent for representation on both sides.
Many people never realize that there is actually one more option to filing for your divorce that will cost you significantly less because it doesn\’t involve an attorney. This is known best as a Pro Se divorce, but is often called a do-it-yourself divorce as well. Keep in mind this may no be an option that is right for you, but it is worth checking in to just to see if you qualify to do things this way.
The first thing you should look at when tying to determine if you will be able to file Pro Se is whether or not it will be uncontested by the parties involved even if there are children or martial properties.
Uncontested means you won\’t be able to involve any kind of stocks, investments, retirement accounts or anything of the like. You will not deal with any type of alimony decision in a Pro Se divorce either, so if this is a concern you will need to still hire a lawyer to take of these things.
For this type of separation to work best it is usually in the best interest of both parties for them both to file a Pro Se divorce rather than one side hire a lawyer while the other does not. Military divorces, however, must be done with a lawyer because they tend to be far more complicated even if the separation is uncontested. Alimony is another factor that can not be on the table in order to file this way.
As already stated, this option can be much cheaper than others but it also must follow strict guidelines in order to work properly. This is why only uncontested and straightforward separations that do not involve children or property are recommended. Both parties should also be in agreement on things prior to filing for the marriage to be dissolved because neither side should hire a lawyer. If a lawyer is needed to sort any issues out than this option is not for you and your situation and you should seek the advice of council as to what your options may be from here.
Author Bio: Looking for help through Separation agreement in Ontario? We are your affordable online Divorce in Ontario resource centre, with forms and advice to help you through the legal challenges you may face.
Category: Legal
Keywords: Separation agreement Ontario, Ontario Divorce forms, Uncontested divorce Ontario, Divorce lawyers